Furnace loading apparatus



Aug. 3, 1937. R. F. NEWELL ET AL l2,089,068'

FURNACE LOADING APPIUTUsv Filed July 51, 1935 I Sw. k1

e u e Q.. si J l m u aA l f IQ 'z f w NU Inventors: Q Ragmond F. Newell,George W. Hegel,

f Th ir Attorneg.

Patented Aug. 3, 1937 UNITED STATES FURNACE LOADING'APPARATUS Raymond F.Newell and GeorgeW. Hegel, Schenectady, N. Y., assignors vtoG'eneralElectric Company, a corporation of kNew York Application July 3l,1935,I'Serial1'No. 34,008

1 Claim.

45 relatively small parts. It is the object of our invention to providean improved loading apparatus for such a furnace by which small articleswhich are to be treated in the furnace may be loaded on the conveyorwith a relatively even distribution. Another object of our invention isto provide a loading apparatus with which a furnace of the conveyor typehaving a protective atmosphere may be loaded without undue loss of theatmosphere and Without a material dilution thereof with air.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of afurnace including an embodiment of our invention; Fig. 2 is a top viewof the embodiment; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view drawn to a largerscale and showing the under portion of the loading tray forming a partof the embodiment.

In the drawing we have represented at I a portion of a furnace of theconveyor type Wherein the conveyor 2, which for example may be a meshbelt, is shown supported by the drum or sprocket 3 at one end of thefurnace. By suitable and well known means, not shown, the drum 3 isrotated in the direction shown by the arrow, and at a speed such thatthe articles resting upon the conveyor are subjected to the desired heattreatment while passing from the one drum 3 to a corresponding drum atthe opposite end of the furnace. In order to admit work to the furnaceto be treated therein the furnace is provided with the opening 5 in thewall thereof, and opposite this opening is the gate extension 6. Thegate I fits in the extension 6 in order to eff-ectively close theopening to prevent an undue loss of a protective atmosphere when such isused in the furnace and. to prevent the entrance of air into thefurnace. To facilitate the closing and opening of the gate 1 it is shownsuspended by the cable 8, which passes over pulley 9 to thecounterweight I0.

Arranged opposite the conveyor and in front of the opening in thefurnace is the track I2 which is represented in Fig. 2 as comprising twospaced horizontal members, such for example as channel bars, which areshown supported by the vertical member I3 which may be channel bars orother structural members. Arranged between the members forming the trackis the carriage I5 shown as comprising the side bars I6 and thetransverse bars Il. This carriage is supported by the anged Wheels I8which are located at ythe 'rear portion of the carriage and are'arrangedto'engageth'e flanges ofthe channel bars form- -ing theltrack, thecarriage being adapted to be -lmoved fby the handle I9.

At the opposite or front end of the carriage is the tray 20 into whichare placed the articles to be loaded on the conveyor. The tray is fixedto the carriage but the bottom 2| of the tray is slidably mounted in theside walls whereby it may be withdrawn or slid rearwardly in order todrop the articles contained by the tray on the conveyor. For moving thebottom 2| of the tray relative to the tray itself, we have provided therod 22 which extends through the transverse members I'I of the carriageand has the handle 23 secured to it near the rear portion of thecarriage whereby the operator may withdraw the bottom after the carriagewith the loaded tray has been pushed to its forward position bringingthe tray over the conveyor. In order to avoid the danger of small partsof the work falling 01T the side of the conveyor when the bottom ofthe'tray is withdrawn, we have provided the tray with the sideextensions 24 whose depth is nearly suiicient to touch the conveyor. Toinsure that the articles or parts being loaded into the furnace shall beevenly distributed on the conveyor when the bottom of the tray iswithdrawn', we have provided the tray with a number oftransverse,partition-like members 25 which divide the tray into a seriesof narrow sections into which small articles, represented at 26, to betreated, are placed.

In the use of this apparatus the operator will load the various sectionsof the tray with the articles when it is in the position illustrated byFig. 1, that is, outside of the furnace, taking care not to load thearticles in the tray to a greater depth than what is desired on theconveyor. I-Ie will then raise the furnace door 'I and inunediately pushthe carriage I5 forward to bring the tray directly over the conveyor tothe position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. l. By grasping thehandle 23 and moving it rearwardly the bottom of the tray is withdrawnand the articles in the several sections between the transverse members25 will be dropped on the conveyor with substantially the samedistribution as they have in the tray. The carriage is then quicklywithdrawn from the furnace and the gate immediately lowered. Theoperator then proceeds to refill the tray and repeat the operation.

In Fig. 1 we have shown a simple signal device to notify the operatorwhen the conveyor has moved the proper distance for another trayful ofmaterial to be dropped thereon. This signaling device is represented ascomprising the bell crank lever 28 one arm of which is engaged by pinsmounted upon the drum 3 and the other 5 arm of which is a switch thatserves to close the circuit 29 including the lamp 30. li desired, thisdevice may be located outside of the furnace chamber on an extension ofthe drum.

While We have shown the gate 1, the carriage I5, and the tray bottom 2|all arranged to be operated manually, it will be understood that undercertain circumstances we may arrange some or all of these elements ofthe structureto be moved by power devices, such for example as l5pneumatic pistons, electric motors, or other well known power actuatingmeans. Where such actuating means is employed, the various operationsmay be controlled by the bell crank 28 whereby the various parts of themechanism will 20 operate automatically and in the proper sequence.

We have chosen the particular embodiment described above asillustrative'of our invention and it will be apparent that variousmodifications 25 may be made without departing from the spirit and scopeof our invention which modifications' we aim to cover by the appendedclaim.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is:

In a furnace having a charge receiving opening normally closed by a gateto prevent the escape of a protective atmosphere and having a beltconveyor therein for supporting small articles to be heat treatedtherein, apparatus for charging said furnace with a minimum loss of saidatmosphere and for depositing said articles evenly on said beltcomprising a track arranged opposite said opening, a'carriage havingwheels arranged to run on said track and provided with a tray for saidarticles having a slidable bottom and having transverse membersextending thereacross and a rod connected with said bottom and mountedon said carriageffor withdrawing the bottom from the tray, said trayhaving its sides extending downwardly below the bottom thereof to reachnearly to said belt for preventing said parts from spreading sideways onthe belt when released from the tray.

i RAYMOND F. NEWELL.

GEORGE W. HEGEL.

